“Putting a trash facility this close to one of the busiest runways in the nation just doesn’t make sense. It’s really a terrible idea. It should be put much farther away,” said Sullenberger, now CBS News’ aviation expert.

However, the city said it is doing everything to ensure that the transfer station is safe, including:

* Installing anti-perching devices

* Enforcing a strict “no feeding wildlife” policy

* Eliminating landscaping that attracts birds

* Hiring a full-time marine biologist to deal with any bird problems that develop

“This facility is fully compatible with airport safety,” said Cas Holloway, the head of the NYC Department of Environmental Conservation. “And that’s because the mitigation measures that the city is going to put in place are really going to make it so that birds aren’t really going to be an issue there.

But Sullenberger dismisses the city’s effort as just a Band-Aid that will be hard to keep in place in an imperfect and “messy” world.

“There will be some trash that will be spilled. It may not be cleaned up right away. Birds are smart and they’ll learn that there’s a source of food there,” Sullenberger said.